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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25014406">hold and be held</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pekudzu/pseuds/pekudzu'>pekudzu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Some Humor, i listened to anchorite on loop whilst writing this</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:08:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,087</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25014406</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pekudzu/pseuds/pekudzu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>havent written in like four years but here's some catradora fluff that will devolve into angst when [or if] i write the next part! you can absolutely see the emotional difference from when i wrote the two different sections of this but it's fiiiiiiiiiiiine probably<br/>also didn't edit the final like. 200 words! so if there's any pacing mistakes that's on me and i'll (probably) fix them later. just wanted to get this somewhere before i fall asleep</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adora/Catra (She-Ra)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>hold and be held</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Her bed feels uncomfortable for the first time in years. Nothing feels right like this. She always felt it never did without her, but now it was different.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Catra?” Adora whispers as gently as she can, as if she doesn’t want her to hear. Despite this, she still feels the slightest stirring of Catra’s body from within her arms - a slight change of breath, typically small movements of her hair that Adora feels like waves against her. “Adora,” she mumbles back, words barely coherent behind the veil of sleep that still covers her. “what time is it?”. Adora isn’t sure - she lost track a long time ago. She takes a deep breath in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t sleep,”  she says, still trying to keep some impression to herself that she wasn’t waking Catra up. “I think.. I need to go home?” She stumbles on the words - they shouldn’t be this hard. “Not this one.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>More movement from Catra, still imperceptible at any other time than this. “Adora, there’s nothing there for you anymore,” Catra pleads with her in a moment of both selfishness and worry - she doesn’t want to see her back there. Doesn’t want to see her back in the place that hurt both of them so much. “We don’t need to go back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adora flinches at this - she knows she shouldn’t have to, that on some level, she doesn’t want to - but she knows it’s what she needs. She’s pretty sure, anyway. “Catra, this just… it doesn’t feel right. To be here with you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her response is much more immediate this time. “I know.” Her voice cracks. “I’m just scared. I don’t want to see what became of it. I don’t want to have the time to think about what I did there now. What I did to you.” Adora feels an awful pang of hurt ring through her - she hated seeing Catra like this. She elects to hold her tighter, causing Catra’s fur to bend upwards slightly at the force. If this made her uncomfortable, she didn’t show it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not that person anymore,” Adora says, a little too much emotion slipping out, betraying the calm protector she wanted so badly to be for her. “I’m here now.” At this, Catra tightens her own grip around Adora, bringing her head further into the crook of Adora’s chin, closer than feels physically possible. She tucks her right leg above and behind Adora’s, doing anything she can to maintain the proximity she craved so dearly. They both hold the silent embrace for as long as they can, allowing each other to hold and be held in a moment untouched by anything other than themselves, the radiant warmth they create together dispelling any lingering chill of worry that remained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra is the one to end the tiny forever - she reluctantly weakens her hold on Adora, lets herself become a little more distant from her body. Not by much, but by enough to end it. “We can go, if you want,” she sighs, unspoken reluctance still colouring her voice. “I know you need it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah… yeah, I think I do,” Adora loosens her own grip, Catra’s words truly solidifying the idea in her head. “I think it’s the only way I’ll get any sleep tonight.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra nods ever so slightly and takes the first excruciating steps of breaking away from Adora. A hand trailing down and off of her back, a gradual untying of the knot of limbs that the two had found comfort in. Adora doesn’t do anything - despite being the one who wanted to leave, she can’t find herself willing to abandon Catra in any fashion - not anymore. She just lets the hands and legs and hair and warmth leave her, feels them take the time to gently run across the scars on her thighs that even She-Ra refused to heal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After what could only be hours, the warmth fully leaves her as Catra rolls onto her back, taking a moment to stare at the ceiling  before getting out of bed, gently coaxing Adora to follow. The two sleepily shuffle out of Adora’s room, Catra not noticing her tail curl around Adora's waist. Adora barely means to let the bulk of her own weight fall onto Catra's shoulders in response.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you… figured out how we’re actually getting to the Fright Zone?” Catra mutters. “I’m not taking the bird horse.” The sarcasm - if it was ever there in the first place - doesn’t quite read.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We could always ask Glimmer to teleport us,” Adora replies. “Or at least, most of the way there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We don’t even know what time it is, Adora. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m</span>
  </em>
  <span> not waking her up.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Adora’s reply is as smug as expected. “Well </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>think I’m entitled to a favour after the whole - y’know - saving the world thing, and all.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“And why do </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>deserve it, huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because you’re the one wh-” Adora catches herself too late. Catra’s already grinning her ass off. “No, go on,” she says.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adora concedes. She probably deserved that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re the one who kissed me,” she sighs, “and that’s what </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>brought She-Ra out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra grins even harder, laughs a little at how flustered Adora is.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>such</span>
  </em>
  <span> an i-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adora kisses her. Not for long at all, but enough that they could both feel like they won. Catra knows it’s her turn to concede this time - she </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely</span>
  </em>
  <span> deserved that. At the very least, she couldn’t complain about a kiss from Adora. Can’t imagine doing that. “I’m still not asking her,” Catra says, “especially not after </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah - I’ll go wake her up,” Adora doesn’t let the smugness leave her voice. “You’ve gotta stand in the doorway for moral support though.” Catra rolls her eyes, but makes it obvious she doesn’t object. Awkwardly standing in Sparkles’ door was a small price to pay for Adora’s comfort. The back of Adora’s hand wanders to Catra’s waist in an obvious invitation to be held. Catra doesn’t deny it - a guide through the still-unfamiliar halls of Bright Moon was welcome, and finding it in Adora brought Catra a comfort she hadn’t felt in years. The echo of their footsteps through the corridors was almost eerily reminiscent of their time in the Fright Zone, but in the safety of Adora’s company, Catra can’t help but feel comforted by the sounds. Adora seems much the same, maintaining her stoic appearance, letting Catra feel safe in the small embrace of their hands. They reach Glimmer’s room, and the footsteps slow to a crawl as they stop.</span>
</p>
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